I visited in a local Lodge last week and had an interesting experience/discussion ... in this Lodge, both the American and Christian flags are saluted and pledged to as a regular practice. It seems, however, that an out-of-town visitor, a Jewish brother, sat in that Lodge a few weeks ago and had concerns about saluting the Christian flag in a Lodge setting. My understanding (I was not there when he visited) is that he did not address this in open Lodge, but quietly took the Senior warden aside after Lodge and asked him about the practice.

The discussion was lively!

Since last week, I contacted our Grand Lodge and discovered that no edict or regulation exists regarding the salutation of either the American or Christian flag; the practice is left to the discretion of the sitting WM. I also called a few Brothers in some of our area Lodges and found that some salute the American flag, some do not, and none salute the Christian flag in Lodge.

I will be 60 years old next Tuesday (5/30) and am Jewish. Please forgive my ignorance, but I have never heard of a "Christian Flag". We have the good ole' Stars & Stripes in our lodge and we always open our meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance. "Civilians" cover their heart with their right hand and military, current and retired, usually salute.

Here’s a Christian flag. We have one in our Lodge, behind
the WM and to his left as seated (American flag on his right). We pledge
allegiance to the American flag; I have never heard of pledging allegiance to
the Christian flag. I’d expect that to do so would be a bit insensitive to our
non-Christian Brothers.

Salute is carried out same as WBScott states. I note that our lone Canadian Brother also recites the pledge and salutes.

The pledge was posted next to the flag but I gathered that it is something commonly done in some churches. Does not fit with what I understand Freemasonry to be about, but I was a visitor, so my thoughts were kept to myself. My own Lodge salutes the American flag under some WMs, but not others .... their year, their call.

It definitely seems, from the responses I have gathered from various sources, to be an idiosyncratic practice. My understanding of our Craft is that it acknowledges all monotheistic approaches to Deity, sincerely practiced, but preferences none.

I am a Christian and have never heard of a pledge of allegiance to a Christian flag. Be that as it may, Freemasonry welcomes people of all sects and religions. To single out a certain religion to pledge allegiance

would seem to violate that tenet, and while perhaps well intentioned, seems to be misguided. I run the risk of being labeled anti-Christian but that is absolutely not the case. Discussion of religion and politics is strictly prohibited in Masonic lodges, and while pledging allegiance may not fit that exactly, it seems to me that such a practice would as a minimum violate that tenet.

An exception might be the Commandery, where that body is clearly Christian, but this seems to have taken place in a Blue Lodge.

I could not agree more heartily. It does seem to counteract the philosophy of our Fraternity, but it is evidently a local practice and one which, now that attention has been drawn to it, has been questioned and discussed. My friend who belongs to that Lodge has told me that the next WM - if elected - plans to eliminate the salutation during his year. Interesting things to be learned while traveling, for sure ....

That would be good .... BUT ... If that Lodge is in a 'strong Bible Belt' area your friend will have trouble. ... So I suggest he should only proceed with caution, education of the members, and advice of close Lodge Brothers.

"Until you realize that your viewpoint is incomplete and that's '_' viewpoint is complete, only then can you become teachable in the Mysteries of '_'."

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot create polls in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum